Israeli security forces arrest Palestinian Authority officer for terror activities

The PA intelligence officer was arrested for assisting two Palestinian terrorists with a shooting attack on IDF soldiers.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

Israeli security forces have arrested the terror cell responsible for a shooting attack on an IDF unit in Tul-Karem earlier this month in which a soldier was lightly wounded, the Shin Bet (Israel’s Security Agency) announced Sunday.

The unit was on a standard operation in the village of Danaba, near Tul-Karem, when it came under fire. The troops returned fire in the direction of the area from which they were attacked, and then launched a broad search for suspects.

The two terror cell members were identified as Amar Anbatz, 27, who served time in an Israeli prison in 2008 for terrorist activities, and Samer A-Haq, 30.

Security forces also arrested a third Palestinian identified as Ala Barkawi, 32, a member of the Palestinian Authority (PA) intelligence services, for providing support to the two shooters by assisting them after the attack and helping them hide their weapon.

All three admitted to planning and carrying the attack during their questioning, and even exposed the hiding place of the gun used in the attack, the Shin Bet stated.

Earlier in the day, the IDF announced it had arrested several Hamas members in Hebron over the weekend, including Hatem Qafisha, a Hamas member of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Five others were arrested for terrorism-related offenses.